Broadband contracts: The small print

Do you always read through the small print when you sign a contract for broadband? There’s an awful lot to read, after all, but sometimes it contains some pretty vital information about what you’re committing to.

It includes all the details of what you're getting, what might
change, and what your rights are - so, all important stuff.
Luckily, we at broadbandchoices have read it all for you, and we've
got a basic rundown of the terms and conditions you may find in
your broadband contract.

Remember, though, that we're not lawyers - just a humble
broadband comparison site. If you have serious concerns or want to
know more detail, contact a solicitor, Ofcom, or other legal
professional for advice.

Basic terms

The terms of your broadband contract at their most basic level
are these: the provider promises to give you a broadband service,
and you promise to pay your bills and use your connection
responsibly.

Your contract will lay out what you're getting from your package
and how much it costs you, and the minimum length of time it will
stand for. It'll also say what the provider can change about your
package - usually that they can change anything and everything for
any reason whenever they please. Watch out for that, but don't
worry too much - it's mostly just to cover themselves, and you have plenty of rights here.

By signing up, you agree to pay your bill and other related
costs (like installation fees), and use your broadband reasonably.
In other words, you'll just use it for domestic use, get the
necessary permissions to install it, and won't use it for
crime.

Installation, setup, and equipment

When you sign up to broadband, you'll be told in advance how
much you need to pay for its installation and setup. That'll
include the price of your router and
whether an engineer needs to come to your home.

The small print of your contract will confirm all this, with a
few more details added in. That includes the terms related to your
equipment, for a start, such as:

what pieces of equipment are included or available, and what
you'll need to provide yourself - for instance, the provider may
include a power cable for the router, but if it can't reach your
plug socket you're responsible for getting an extension

whether the router is yours to keep, or if you're expected to
return it at the end of your contract

your router's warranty.

It often also includes language saying that you agree to use the
included equipment - if you don't, and choose to use your own router instead, you
can't hold your broadband provider liable if something goes wrong
with it.

Speeds

Pay attention to this - it gives you an idea of how fast your
broadband would be, and Ofcom has ruled that if you don't get your
promised speeds, you may be able to cancel your contract with no
termination fee.

Costs and bills

How much dosh you need to part with each month is a pretty
important part of a broadband contract. Of course, it'll also
detail everything else to do with costs - like how prices might
change, how you can pay (and whether different payment methods
incur extra charges), which day of the month you're charged, and
how to view your bill.

This is also where it outlines what happens if you don't pay -
whether the provider charges extra fees, shuts off your service,
suspends it temporarily, or something else.

Remember that whatever your contract states here, you still have
rights that override it. Ofcom rules that if your monthly broadband
bill rises beyond normal inflation costs,
you can cancel your package within 30 days of being informed about
it with no termination fees.

Usage caps, acceptable use, and traffic management

Some broadband packages have usage caps, acceptable use
policies, and web traffic management. These will all be detailed in
your contract too.

If your package has a usage cap, the contract will say what it
is and what happens if you go over it. Read this bit carefully so
you understand fully what might happen. The provider may send
warning emails, require you to buy a bolt-on, charge you by the
megabyte for everything you use above the cap, suspend your
connection, or, in the case of some providers,
automatically upgrade you to a more expensive package.

Fair usage terms aren't that common these days, even on
"unlimited" packages - a lot of providers offer truly unlimited contracts - but most
have an acceptable use policy. Your contract will go over
what this means, but the general gist is that you mustn't do
anything illegal or dodgy via your broadband (like purposely
spreading viruses, hacking, harassment, and so on) and should treat
it like a normal, household internet connection. Read all this
carefully too - you don't want to risk a nasty unexpected bill.

There may be some wording saying that it'll investigate if you
"exceed what is reasonably expected of someone using the service
for domestic purposes", and what'll happen if that occurs.

It all sounds a bit scary, but if you're a genuine household
(not a business) and not using the internet
for anything illegal, there's no real need to worry.

You'll also find details of any web traffic management that your
provider performs, and how it might affect your connection. The way
it manages traffic is often subject to change, so it'll probably
give a link to a page on its website with the most up-to-date
info.

Customer service

Need to contact customer service, use tech support, or make a
complaint? Check your contract. Your provider will give you the
details of how it would like you to contact them, and which
channels you should go through if you have a complaint.

Switching and cancelling

You won't have this contract forever, so it'll also talk about
its eventual demise.

When you sign up, you'll be told how long you're tied in (say,
12 months), and the contract will go on to detail what happens when
you reach the end of that period. Most likely, your provider will
just continue giving you the same service and charging you for it.
Still, chances are you'll want to cancel at some point, so the
small print will give you a bit of info on how to go about
that.

Once you're outside of your minimum terms, switching or
cancelling is fairly straightforward, but your contract will also
tell you what happens if you want to cancel it early (usually
incurring a hefty fee). Look out for the phrase 'early termination'
to find this bit.

You'll also find info about what to do if you're moving home,
and times in which you can terminate early without a penalty. A lot
include a 'cooling off' period in the first couple of weeks of your
connection getting switched on, and Ofcom rules that you may be
able to cancel without penalty if you don't get the speeds you've
been promised.

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Why do we need your postcode?

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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.